Australia in India 2008-09

Irani Cup drop prompted my decision - Ganguly

Cricinfo staff

October 8, 2008

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Stop speculating about my future - Kumble Anil Kumble, India's Test captain, has asked the media to stop speculating whether he will follow Sourav Ganguly's lead and retire at the end of the series. "I'll let you know when my last series is. I'm someone who'll take the call on that," he said. "I'm not someone who'd like to announce before. I'd like to take things as they come. Let's stop all this for now and let the players decide when they need to go." Kumble, who turns 38 later this month, however said that this will be his last Test in his hometown. "I don't know when the next one [here] is. I don't want to look that far ahead. I'll take one series at a time." The earliest Bangalore will get to host another Test is during the series against Sri Lanka towards the end of 2009.

A day after announcing his retirement from international cricket, Sourav Ganguly said the decision came at the right moment. "I just felt it was time for me to go," Ganguly said on the eve of the first Test against Australia in Bangalore.

Ganguly said he had not rushed into the decision and had arrived at it after he was ignored for the Irani Cup. "Obviously I can't deny the fact that I was disappointed after the Irani Cup selection. To be honest, I felt I'd two outstanding years except the Sri Lanka series," Ganguly said. For the record, Ganguly has scored 1667 in 21 matches at 45.05 in the last two years. Still he undercut the sense of sadness with wit.

Asked as to why he was the most scrutinised among the Fab Five, Ganguly smiled and replied, "Probably people didn't like my face."

On Tuesday, after briefing the media, Ganguly made the surprise announcement to call it a day. He said he didn't want the attention focused on him since the series was the priority. "I didn't want to make much of a fuss and that's why I announced it at the end of the press meet because the series is more important," Ganguly said.

Asked if there was a sense of relief now, Ganguly said, "The pressure of doing well will always be there and that probably brings the best out of everyone. Whether it's a relief or not, all I can say is I've not been sad."

Ganguly also rubbished all the rumours about him intending to stick around for a couple more years. "I've not said anywhere that I wanted to play for two years. It was picked from an interview a year ago after I played against Pakistan," Ganguly said.

Well aware of the fact that a lot speculation will surface about his decision, Ganguly said he wasn't bothered about it. "I know what is the right thing and you will find out in due course," he said.

Picking his debut, at Lord's in 1996, as the best moment of his career, Ganguly said if there were any unfulfilled expectations, it was the India's loss in the 2003 World Cup final.

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